The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Loved it, absolutely loved it. I'm not saying I have an unrequited love affair with Mr. Gaiman's books, but I totally do. I've read a lot of great books in the last few years but few authors have that ability to sink in the hook where I can't put down the book despite literally losing sleep like he does. The good news/bad news situation here is that this is a short book so the obsession is a brief strong flash rather than a long affair. Not to get off on a tangent but I love how this book felt like it was exactly the right number of pages. I think a lot of authors are edited into the best selling number of pages, typically around 400, and I think a story should be as long or short as it naturally is. But I digress. While I'd love to explain the magical story that Neil masterfully puts to paper I'm not going to, it needs to be explored not laid out. What I will say is that the story is full of wonders & terrors with a good amount of typical Gaiman humor. Brilliantly written, great characters and impossible to put down. American God's & Good Omens are still my favorites but this is in the conversation for my next favorite Gaiman book and that's saying an awful lot.